If you're fired can you get California EDD unemployment benefits?

This is really reassuring, thank you. So even though I selected 'discharged' it doesn't mean I'm automatically denied? I was so worried I wasted my time filing.

yeah what they said is correct, my buddy got fired for 'poor performance' last year and still got his benefits after like 2 weeks of waiting

Just to add - make sure you respond quickly if California EDD sends you a questionnaire asking for more details about your separation. Missing that deadline can hurt your claim even if you'd otherwise qualify.

I still have some texts from my supervisor about the schedule changes. Should I upload those somewhere or wait until they ask?

Hold onto them for sure. If your claim goes into adjudication or you get a disqualification notice, those texts could be really valuable for an appeal. Don't delete anything.

wait what is adjudication exactly? does that mean youre denied or its just being reviewed??

Three weeks of adjudication sounds awful. Did the agent actually help resolve anything or just give you status info?

Honestly mostly just status info but that alone was huge - I went from panicking thinking I was denied to knowing it was just a processing delay. Peace of mind is worth a lot when you're waiting on money you need.

I've heard of Claimyr but never tried it. Does it actually get you a real agent or just some automated system?

Real live agent, same as if you'd called and somehow gotten through yourself. The claimyr.com site explains it better than I can but yeah it's not just another automated thing.

Correct - adjudication means EDD is reviewing the details of your claim before making a determination. It does NOT mean you're denied. It's common when there's any kind of separation issue (being fired, quitting, disputes with employer). Just make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications even while in adjudication - if you stop filing and then get approved you could lose those weeks of benefits.

omg thank you i almost stopped filing because i thought it was pointless. continuing now

This is so important - NEVER stop filing weekly certifications while waiting on adjudication. So many people make this mistake and then lose weeks of back pay they were owed.

You can absolutely appeal a misconduct disqualification. You have 30 days from the date on the Notice of Determination to file an appeal. The appeal goes to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB) and you get an actual hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. Bring documentation, be specific about dates and facts, and explain your side clearly. Many misconduct determinations get overturned on appeal.

Okay good to know. My situation is kind of borderline so I wanted to know my options before I even get the determination.

If you end up needing to appeal, the hearing is less formal than it sounds. You can represent yourself. Just be factual and specific, not emotional, and bring whatever documentation you have.

SAME. I spent like an hour on the EDD website and couldn't find a clear answer, which is why I ended up posting here.

their website is honestly terrible for actually explaining eligibility in plain english. forums like this are way more helpful

How long do I have to return the questionnaire? I want to make sure I don't miss any deadlines.

The form will have a deadline on it - usually around 10 days. Open any mail from EDD immediately and respond as fast as you can, don't wait until the deadline.

wait they mail it? not email? I'm terrible at checking my physical mail, this is stressing me out now

Already filed! Just waiting now and worrying about every possible outcome haha

lol classic, good luck though seriously

This is making me feel a lot more confident. I never intentionally violated any policy - the schedule thing was legitimately confusing and I flagged it to my supervisor multiple times.

Good info. My situation involved me getting into an argument with a coworker - nothing physical - and I'm trying to figure out if that crosses the misconduct line.

Arguments alone generally don't constitute misconduct unless they were severe and repeated or crossed into harassment/threats. Document your perspective on what happened and how the company handled it.

Four months is really scary. Did you have to pay back any benefits or did they just not pay you during that time?

They don't pay you during the appeal period unless you win, which I did, and then they back-paid everything at once. So I went four months with zero income. It was brutal.

This is why it's worth trying to reach a live EDD agent when you can to at least understand where your claim stands. Waiting blindly is the worst part.

That's exactly what drove me to try Claimyr when my claim was stuck. Even just having ONE conversation with an agent who could confirm what was actually happening made the waiting so much more bearable. claimyr.com if anyone needs it - and that video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 shows the whole process.

Yes - when you file a claim, California EDD does notify your former employer so they can respond about the reason for separation. This is standard and required by the process. It's not something to worry about though - you have the right to file, and most employers expect it when they let someone go.

ok good to know, I was thinking of filing but didn't want my old job to find out for some reason. but yeah makes sense they'd have to know

I set up UI Online when I filed, is that the same thing? And I picked direct deposit to my bank account.

Yep that's the same thing - you're all set then. Direct deposit is definitely the faster option. Just make sure your bank account info is entered correctly because errors there can delay payment.

California EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during a 'base period' - generally the 12 months before your claim. The formula uses your highest earning quarter. The current maximum weekly benefit in California is $450. You can estimate your amount using EDD's online calculator before you even file.

$450 max seems low for California living costs but I guess it's something

Yeah it really doesn't go far here but it's definitely better than zero while you're job searching

This gives me so much hope thank you for updating!! Congrats!

Happy for you! Yeah keeping up with the weekly certifications is crucial, glad it worked out

thanks everyone in this thread honestly, would have stopped filing without the advice here

Two hours sounds like a lot but honestly probably worth it. Did she have documentation to support her response or just her account of what happened?

Mostly just her account but it was very detailed and specific with dates and what was communicated to her. EDD seemed to accept it. Her employer didn't even respond apparently.

That's actually common - many employers don't respond to the EDD questionnaire, especially larger companies. If they don't respond, EDD generally has to go with your version of events.

You should correct this as soon as possible. EDD will verify the separation reason with your employer, and if your response contradicts theirs it can trigger fraud flags which is way worse than just being honest about being fired. Call EDD or send a message through UI Online to correct the separation reason before they contact your employer. Honesty is always the better path here.

oh god okay calling first thing tomorrow. thank you

Definitely fix it quickly - providing a false reason for separation is considered fraud and can result in repaying benefits plus penalties. Not worth it when being fired for performance reasons often still qualifies you anyway.

EDD's phone system is notoriously bad and has been for years. If you really need to reach a live agent, I'd look into Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it essentially navigates the EDD phone system for you and has you called back when an agent is available instead of you sitting on hold or getting disconnected. Saved me so much frustration when my claim was processing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10

I've seen this mentioned a couple times in this thread, might actually try it. The phone situation is making me more stressed than the actual claim

The EDD phone system feels deliberately designed to exhaust you into giving up. I genuinely believe that. Anything that gets you through to an actual human being is worth trying.

What matters more than duration at your most recent job is your total wages earned during the base period (roughly the past 12-18 months across all employers). You need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest earning quarter OR at least $900 in your highest quarter AND total base period earnings of 1.25x your high quarter earnings. Six months of full-time work usually meets these thresholds but the calculator on EDD's website can confirm.

Okay so it's about total wages not just the one job, good to know. I've had a couple jobs this year so hopefully the combined earnings work in my favor.

Another good update! This thread has been so helpful, now just waiting on mine. Fingers crossed!

Good luck, hope yours comes through soon too!

congrats!! this is reassuring honestly

So happy to hear this! And yes, this is such a common misconception that stops eligible people from filing. Being fired does NOT equal automatic disqualification in California. Glad you got the outcome you deserved.

Really glad it worked out faster than mine did. Congrats, and hope the job search goes well.

Great news! For anyone who finds this thread later going through the same situation - file your claim, keep certifying weekly, respond to everything EDD sends you promptly, and if you need to actually talk to someone use Claimyr at claimyr.com to get through the phone system. The video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 explains how it works. You've got options.